Breathe Your Life Into Me
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: One-shot. Yami does not recognize himself anymore. He is lost in the darkness and confusion...who will pull him out of it? Set after Ceremonial Duel. I do not own Yugioh or Breathe Into Me by Red.


**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH BY KAZUKI TAKAHASHI OR BREATHE INTO ME BY RED**

**Hi again ^_^! This is my first Revolutionshipping Yami Vivian breakup story XD. My apologies to any fans of Vivian… BTW, Yami, Vivian, and Tea are all eighteen in this. Yami decided to stay after the Ceremonial Battle, kept his nickname, and got his own body.**

**X**

Yami sighed as he sat in a corner booth at the Blue Eyes Bar, one of the most popular Kaiba Corp owned hangouts in town. It was a place run especially for duelists with a Duel Monster themed menu, framed posters on almost every free space of wall announcing new and old tournaments, and small Kaiba Corp Duel boxes which were almost always occupied but newbie to experienced duelists. The lighting was dim, a glittering disco ball in the center of the room casting spheres of color over the dark walls. Music pounded blaringly, making the Pharaoh's ears hurt whenever he focused on it.

Yami ran his blood eyes over every detail of this loud place…and couldn't help the distaste building up within his heart. Wearing a ripped black tank imprinted with the word "Duel", black jeans, multiple studded belts, and a collection of Egyptian bangles around his wrists, he looked as though he belonged here. His pale skin glowed in the pallid lighting and his sharply spiked hair of three shades seemed even slicker…but in spite of his bad boy appearance, he was not enjoying himself. Perhaps it was the almost painfully thudding music…the blinding lights…or the person he was with.

Her name was Vivian Wong. Once a martial arts actress, she was a reasonably skilled Kung Fu duelist. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and a nice but too frequently exposed figure. Right now, she was wearing her usual yellow Oriental dress that cut quite high up the side of both thighs. Most of her hair was tied up in twin buns with two long strands hanging down on either side.

Vivian and Yami had been dating for several months now…and if he had to be honest, Yami would say that he barely even viewed her as a friend anymore. The girl was high-maintenance, whiny, and scheming. Truly….Yami had only gone out with her…in hopes of letting go of the girl he really loved.

Tea Gardner…she was a beautiful brunette with lovely pale skin and the brightest eyes of ocean he'd ever seen. She was kind, feisty, and intelligent, aspiring to be a dancer in New York. She had helped him through so much over the years they'd been friends…and that had only made his feelings for her grow stronger…and he could tell from all the subtle signs… that she shared his affections. In spite of that knowledge however, he knew that Yugi had a crush on her…so he'd forced himself to back off…and never reveal how he felt…now matter how much it hurt.

The Pharaoh had announced months ago that Vivian was his girlfriend. Most of his friends had been supportive, if not a little surprised….but Tea had warned him. She told him she knew what type of girl Vivian was…begged him to reconsider months of difficulty…but he had brushed the thought away as if it were as far from the truth as his supposed feelings for Vivian. Still…Yami was doing it for Tea…for both of them…for they couldn't reveal their true feelings…and risk losing Yugi's friendship as a result.

"What are you doing just sitting there? Come on, sweetie!"

Yami jumped, turning toward the source of the insistent voice. Vivian had gotten up from her seat and was standing in front of him, tugging on his arm in an attempt to pull him to his feet. The girl was pointing at an area that was lower than the platform they were currently on. People had gathered there and were dancing odd, modern dances to the blaring music.

"Everyone's dancing!" Vivian continued. "Let's go! People are going to think we're losers if we keep sitting here!"

Yami sighed but allowed himself to be dragged from his booth, down a set of steps made of some hard, clear substance, and onto the dance floor. People were crowded in close to each other, writhing in strange ways that seemed almost unnatural. The noise was even louder down here, and it was extremely hot from all the bodies compacted so close together…but the Pharaoh did not complain. He just stood there, awkwardly swaying back and forth and snapping his fingers while his so-called girlfriend spun and dipped. He did not enjoy the way she moved…it was seductive and licentious, not at all the way Tea danced. Her movements were graceful, full of skill, and seemed to flow like water with the rhythm of whatever music was playing.

Yami shook his head, trying to cleanse the thoughts from his mind. He had to stop thinking like this…it made the anger, sorrow, and darkness that had been threatening to consume him as of late grow to exponentially dangerous heights. Though he hated it, the Pharaoh forced himself to focus on the music. He closed his crimson eyes, nodding his head to the beat…and frowning.

Yami's throat grew constricted, his mouth dry. The base of the music…was matching the beat of his own heart as he thought of Tea. Thud….thud…thud… He took a shaky breath and opened his eyes. He found that Vivian's dancing had tamed a bit and she was looking at him with a single, raised eyebrow.

"I just remembered…" she said, her voice growing hard with a tone Yami recognized far too well. She was about to make an issue out of something. "Your little friend Tea Gardner wants to be a dancer, doesn't she?"

Yami swallowed hard and gave a brief nod. Thud, thud, thud, thud…the base quickened, seeming to mock his frantic emotions.

The smile that twisted Vivian's red lips was anything but pleasant. She did a twirl that was too sharp to be graceful and lifted her arms in an oval shape over her head.

"Well…too bad she'll never be good enough…" Vivian sneered spitefully, swaying her hips back and forth exaggeratedly. "Not when girls like me have so much more to offer…"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Yami's face, dripping onto the light-strewn floor. His heart was pounding even harder now…only this quickened cardiac activity was a result of deep anger. No one could talk that way about Tea in his presence…no one. The Pharaohs fists clenched tightly, making his already white knuckles turn grey. He could feel that old anger…that thirst for revenge that drove him to inflict Shadow Games onto many deserving people in the past. He thought he had rid himself of that raw fury…tamed the primal fire that lurked in the recesses of his heart…but apparently there were still a few existing vestiges.

Finally, Yami couldn't take it anymore. He turned and practically fled the restaurant, not bothering to turn and see his date's reaction. He stopped outside the door on the street's curb, his shoulders heaving up and down with ragged breaths. He hadn't felt like this…like he could not control his emotions…in a long time.

The youth squeezed his eyes shut, furrowing his ebony brows as he panted. The cool evening breeze touched his face…like the gentle caress of fingers…her fingers…. He sighed heavily and looked up. Nighttime Domino City was quite beautiful, the various shops and restaurants all illuminated with neon signs. The streets were strangely desolate so he guessed most everyone was shopping or dining.

The Pharaoh's ruby eyes took all this in before slowly letting his gaze wander to the sky. The stars were difficult to see with all the lights from the city…but he could make out the moon. It stood out against the blackness like a great, silvery beacon guiding a lost ship back home. Yami swallowed dryly, wishing it could guide him home as well. He barely recognized himself anymore…dating the exact type of woman he despised…avoiding his closest friends…coming to places like the Blue Eyes bar…it was as if he had become someone else entirely.

Yami heard the door opened behind him and he tensed. He knew who it was…though he was surprised Vivian even cared enough to come after him. Or maybe…her pride was wounded and she wanted to make him grovel to heal it. He suspected the latter far more than the former.

He turned…and saw the woman standing only a foot away from him, her brown eyes narrowed into slits and her shoulders tensed.

"So what I've been suspecting is true…" Vivian seethed, her skin darkening with anger. "You do have feelings for her!"

Yami said nothing, averting his blood eyes. There was no use in denying it…the only way she would believe him would be for him to drop onto his knees and beg for mercy…and he was tired of changing himself to suit others.

Suddenly, sharp pain spread across his cheek and the Pharaoh found that his head was suddenly turned to one side. He snapped his gaze back to his raging girlfriend…and realized that she had slapped him across the face.

Anger boiled up within Yami's chest and he couldn't stop his crimson eyes from narrowing into slits. His heart was burning with that familiar desire…the wanting to make his enemies suffer…but he forced it back as far as he could, tensing his black clad shoulders with the effort.

Vivian's hands were shaking with anger. "I knew it! Well, guess what, buddy, you are dating me! If you even think about that silly little girl again, I swear we will be through!"

The Pharaoh stared at her for a moment. Then…he shrugged a single shoulder with amazing cool and replied, "Fine. We're through."

"…What?"

"You said it yourself did you not? If I ever think about Tea again we are through. I am and always will be thinking about Tea…so we are through." He couldn't stop the smirk twisting his lips at her dumbfounded expression , though he was still mentally seething. "You can consider yourself…what is the modern expression? Oh, yes… dumped."

Vivian flinched as if the words had delivered a physical blow to her person. Her eyes narrowed further than Yami thought possible…and she raised her hand again.

"No one dumps Vivian Wong, you little—"

She never finished the sentence.

As the woman was swinging her arm to strike the Pharaoh again…his pale hand shot out and seized her wrist. She jerked slightly, surprised, and raised her other arm…but Yami grabbed that wrist as well and slammed both of them against the brick wall of the windowless building. Vivian gave a small cry of shock and stared at him, fear evident in her face.

The Pharaoh's eyes were burning like fire, his black, red, and blonde hair seeming even sharper in the dark against his pallid skin. The Eye of Horus glowed sinisterly on his forehead, its familiar burn sending a wave of vengeful fire throughout his heart. He could sense her soul…could see all the tainting marks of greed, vanity, and evil staining her heart.

It was so tempting. Her sanity…her very life was in his hands. He could conjure some horrifying image of darkness within her mind…no one would know it was had been his doing. No one…except Tea. She would know…and Yami knew that if he gave into darkness just like he had those many years ago…it would shatter her heart like glass.

The Pharaoh stared into Vivian's terror-stricken face for an agonizing moment longer…before releasing her hands and stepping backward. He resumed his usual ramrod posture, his face cold and expressionless.

"Stay away from me…" he murmured with an eerie calm that was just as frightening as his rage. "…and keep Tea's pure name…out of your wicked mouth."

The Egyptian then turned…and walked away. He rounded the corner of some pleasantly illuminated bakery. The door jingled as someone stepped out of it…and some of the scent from inside wafted out onto the street. Yami breathed in the smell of cakes and cookies, enjoying the sweetness. It helped to quell the bitterness of his nearly unbridled desire for justice…or vengeance if he was being honest with himself.

The Pharaoh sighed heavily, continuing his idle walk to a more shadowed area of the city. He should have listened to Tea…for she had been right…it was a mistake to get involved with Vivian…even if his intentions were pure. She had warped him…brought out old vestiges of anger and feral instinct that had long since been buried. Yami felt as if he could not control himself anymore…just like all those years ago…

The youth smirked and stuffed his pale hands into his pockets. Perhaps his intentions hadn't been as pure as he wanted to believe. Perhaps….he was just being a plain and simple coward. He was running away from the truth rather than facing it head on as he had lectured so many others to do. It was so ironic…now that the Pharaoh finally had the freedom to make his own choices…every choice he made…seemed to be the wrong one. Oh, how he did not recognize himself anymore…he was turning into the exact kind of person he despised…a helpless, hypocritical coward.

_This is how it looks when I ignore the words you spoke to me_

_And this is where I lose myself when I keep running away from you_

_And this is who I am when…when I don't know myself anymore_

_And this is what I choose when it's all left up to me_

Yami sighed heavily and let his blood eyes wander to the sky. He could make out a few of the stars now….each tiny pinprick of light in a sea of blackness…. That was what Tea felt like to him now. She was the one sparkle in his shadowed existence…that was keeping him from being completely swallowed by the darkness. He wanted to call out to the blue-eyed beauty. He wished she were here with him….that she could share her light…that she could breathe her essence of purity into his soul…and cleanse it of all its tainting marks.

_Breathe your life into me_

_I can feel you_

_I'm falling…falling faster…_

_Breathe your life into me_

_I still need you_

_I'm calling…calling_

_Breathe into me…breathe into me…_

Finally, Yami stopped walking, finding himself…at the Domino Pier. He hadn't originally intended to come here. It was as if…his feet had, of their own accord, taken him to this place…the place…where he and Tea had watched the sunset before they found out who he really was.

An unconscious smile formed itself on Yami's lips as he surveyed the area. It was just as beautiful at night as it was in the picturesque light of the setting sun. The obsidian water, glistening with silvery sparkles of light…the gentle lapping of the waves against the concrete platform…the ebony sky scattered with diamond-like stars…and the distant pieces of water machinery, humbly obstructing part of the view as a reminder that he was still in the city rather than some oceanic, nighttime paradise. The moon was covered by a blanket of fog, making the stars stand out even more. It was all so breathtaking…yet it made the sorrow in his heart grow even deeper.

The Pharaoh's ruby eyes stung. He felt…as if he was falling apart…as if the pain…was festering inside him, tearing him to shreds from the inside out. He took a deep breath, forcing the tears to stay back. He told himself he was fine….he would feel better in a little while….he wouldn't tip over the edge of the hypothetical skyscraper….

_This is how it looks when I am standing on the edge_

_This is how I break apart_

_And I finally hit the ground_

Yami let out the breath he'd been holding and grasped the metal railing of the pier, his shoulders rigid. Somehow….pretending that the hurt did not exist on a deep level…that it would pass soon…made it even worse. It was as if…the horrid feelings had a mind of their own, getting angry when he denied their existence…and intensifying just to prove that they were indeed there.

The Pharaoh's breath was coming in shaky gasps now, his knuckles cracking as they clutched the rail. There was no use in ignoring how miserable he was….it was far too obvious. A few rebellious tears slid down Yami's pale cheeks, dripping into the ocean and creating ripples on the black surface. The cool breeze touched his face, chilling the area where the tears had traveled. He wanted nothing more than to fade away into that breeze…to have it take him…to wherever Tea was. Then, Yami could run his fingers through her silky hair…could caress her soft, ivory skin….and he would be nothing more than an innocent whisper on the wind.

_And this is how it hurts when I pretend I don't fell any pain_

_And this is how I disappear when I throw myself away._

_Breathe your life into me_

_I can feel you_

_I'm falling…falling faster_

_Breathe your life into me_

_I still need you_

_I'm calling…calling_

_Breathe into me…breathe into me…_

Suddenly…the Pharaoh heard gentle footsteps approach behind him. He didn't turn…didn't care if it was Vivian…didn't care if it was some fan desperate for an autograph…he kept his back turned, his shoulders rigid.

The person drew closer….and Yami could actually feel the heat they gave off…could hear their soft breathing. There was something familiar about that warmth…something….comforting. A hand touched his back and ran over his tensed shoulder blades, rubbing away the knots of discomfort that had formed. Then…the hand's owner moved around to his side…and Yami found…that he was staring into the face…of Tea Gardner.

The youth blinked, thinking that he must be seeing things…but he was not. The girl was there, every bit as tangible…every bit as real…as he was. She wore a sleeveless navy top with a black, sparkly sweater over it and a dark leather skirt that reached mid thigh. Black knee socks took residence at her legs and dark blue platform clogs clung to her feet, making her gazelle-like legs stand out. Tea was gazing at him, her chocolate hair gently blowing against her white skin…her sapphire eyes filled with worry.

"Yami?" she murmured softly and her familiar voice sent a wave of warmth throughout his soul. "Are…you okay?"

"Y-yes…." Yami replied, blinking out of his daze. He turned to face the girl…and her frown deepened. Her cerulean eyes scanned over his face with ever-increasing concern…and he wondered if she could see the dried tears on his skin.

"What are you doing here?" the Pharaoh asked, hoping he did not sound hostile.

"I went for a walk…" Tea explained. "I…saw you standing here all by yourself. I've been worried about you…and so has Yugi."

Yami swallowed hard and nodded. "How is he?"

"He's doing fine. He and Rebecca are dating now."

The Pharaoh's heart leapt at this. Yugi was seeing someone else…so….did that mean that…he had every bit a right to pursue Tea as his former host had? Did it mean…that the answer to his troubles….lay in a simple yes or no on Tea's part?

"Oh…." The Egyptian croaked, trying to sound less stunned than he was. "Good for them…."

To his surprise, Tea reached out…and placed her soft hand on his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over the clear trail left by the tears, obviously able to tell he'd been going through a depression. Yami sighed involuntarily and leaned into her touch. He closed his eyes, trying to memorize the feeling…in case it was the first and last time he ever got to do so.

"What has the world done to you?" Tea whispered, her voice sad and empathetic.

The Pharaoh sighed heavily and opened his ruby eyes…but did not move away from her hand. Blood clashed with water for a moment…before he finally opened his mouth to explain.

"I've been…feeling alone and…unfamiliar lately. I broke it off with Vivian tonight…she made me angry…and I nearly did something terrible to her…just like I would have back when…" he waved his hand, not wanting to mention the days when his dark spirit was newly awakened…and feral.

Tea's eyes hadn't budged from his. "You almost did…but you didn't."

Yami shook his head. "No…I stopped myself…but it was difficult." He reluctantly turned his head out of the girl's caress so that he could stare at his reflection rippling in the shadowed water. "I barely know who I am anymore, Tea. I feel…as though I am falling to pieces…and there's nothing I can do about it. I am lost in this darkness…and I can't find my way out."

Yami turned back toward her, keeping his ruby gaze averted.

"Maybe…" he murmured. "It would have been better…if I had left this world after the Ceremonial Duel—"

"No," the dancer spoke so firmly that the Pharaoh actually jumped in surprise. Tea stepped forward and placed her delicate hands on his muscled chest. Her eyes glittered feverishly. "Don't say that. Don't think it for a second."

Yami gave her a look of weary confusion…and she slid her hands up to his shoulders, pressing closer to him.

"I am here for you. If you're lost…" Tea murmured. "I will find you. If you're falling apart…I'll help put you back together again…and if you're wandering through the darkness…I will be the light…that brings you out of it."

Yami's heart was pounding so hard that he was sure she could feel it against her own. Before he even knew what he was doing, he had snaked his arms around her slender waist and was leaning in so close…that their lips brushed as he talked.

"You will help me? You will share your light with me…and help me out of these shadows?"

In answer, Tea closed those glorious oceanic eyes…and Yami gave into instinct. He crashed his mouth against hers in a rough, deep kiss, groaning as she responded to it. The contact was not forceful in the way it might have been with Vivian…rather the ardency stemmed from the passion in both their hearts. The girl's lips were soft and sweet, making Yami desire more as each second passed. Tea's hands clung to his neck while his slid up to caress her soft, warm shoulders beneath her sweater. Finally, the need for air took its toll on them both…and they were forced to break away.

Panting, the Pharaoh held her even tighter against his torso, leaning his forehead against hers. Tea gazed, half-lidded, up at him, her own chest heaving and her fingers gently running through his unruly hair. Her breathing converged with his own, making a shiver run through him.

"Breathe you light…you life…into me…" Yami growled, taking her face between his hands.

Tea nodded. "Gladly…" she whispered…and did exactly that as his lips met with hers once again.

It was at that moment…in the wave of passion, love, and the relief of years of longing…that the clouds slowly drifted away from the bright moon…and the darkness…lifted from Yami's ever-igniting heart.

"**Breathe into Me" is my favorite Red song so I had to use it in something XD. I hope you liked and please review ^_^! Please no flames.**

**I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH OR BREATHE INTO ME**


End file.
